


Anniversary

by grumby



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: This is rly sweet and cute, and also maybe a little angsty, but mostly it's just taako and angus cooking together, just a smidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25379320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumby/pseuds/grumby
Summary: Something's wrong, and Taako can't tell what. So, he enlists the help of boy detective-turned-chef Angus McDonald to bake some macaroons.
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako
Comments: 32
Kudos: 141





	Anniversary

“Hey, kid,” the shadow says. “Ango, hey!” 

Angus blinks the sleep from his eyes, and through his still blurry vision realises someone’s in his room. He opens his mouth, but - 

“Woah, Agnes, please don’t scream. I really don’t want people finding out I break into kids’ rooms,” the shadow says, passing him his glasses. 

“Mr. Taako?” He asks, blearily putting them on and squinting in the dark. 

“Yeah, natch, who else breaks into your room?” Taako says, crossing the room to flip the light switch on. 

“Until tonight, sir, no one, and I quite liked that fact,” he replies, shielding his eyes from the sudden light. “Sir, I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?” 

“Nah, pumpkin, you earned some rude, I did break in,” Taako says, and he sounds a little regretful. “Sorry.” 

Angus cocks his head and furrows his brow. 

Has he _ever_ heard Taako apologise? 

“Sir? Are you – are you okay?” 

“Ch’yeah, kid, why?” Angus squints at him, and Taako nods with a wry smile. “Okay, yeah, Taako’s good. Just – thought maybe you might want to do a lesson.” 

“Oh, a magic lesson? Absolutely, sir!” Angus is up in an instant, throwing the covers off himself and swinging his legs out of bed. “I just need to find my wand, and some clothes -” 

“Yeah,” Taako mutters. “Or, like, a cooking lesson.” 

“Sorry, sir?” 

Taako clears his throat, not looking at Angus. “Or a cooking lesson,” he repeats, louder. “I mean, I don’t know if you can cook, I just thought it’d be nice, you know, cos I wanted to make some macaroons, but you can’t cook alone, y’know, and I’m not about to do it with Magnus “I tripped over my own feet and fell off the moon base” Burnsides, and don’t even get me started on Merle -” 

“Sir, that sounds great!” Angus is practically glowing with excitement. “Is there – uh, is there any reason we’re doing it now?” 

“No time like present, pumpkin, you should know that. That’s wizard lesson, like, numero uno.” 

“You told me wizard lesson numero uno was “stealing is fine if it’s for spell components,” sir.” 

Taako squints at Angus. “When did I say that?” 

“When you were shoplifting from the Fantasy Costco and you made me distract Garfield, sir,” Angus says, a little reproachfully, pulling a robe on over his pyjamas. 

Taako waves the comment away. “Okay, so wizard lesson numero two is “no time like present.” C’mon, Ango, time’s a-wastin'.” He holds the door open, and Angus ducks under his arm. 

They walk down the Bureau hallways quietly. Taako swings the Umbra Staff at his side as he walks, fidgeting with the handle almost nervously. 

“Where are we going, sir?” Angus asks, realising they’re not headed towards Taako’s room. He pulls his robe a little tighter around himself as they emerge onto the quad – it’s winter, and clouds fill the sky, fog rolling across the grass. A biting wind whips across the base, and Angus shivers. 

Taako seems to notice, and he taps him on the shoulder with the Staff. Angus’ robes suddenly feel warm, like they’re fresh from the dryer. Angus turns to him with eyes wide, and Taako ruffles his hair. “It’s only Prestidigitation, pumpkin. Easy spell. I’ll teach you next magic lesson. We gotta head to Costco. I don’t have any almonds, and they’re kinda a necessity.” He sighs. “Just hope I don’t have to break a window to get in this time.” 

They arrive at the doors of the Costco dome, and thankfully, the doors are still open. Garfield’s opening hours are as chaotic and random as the cat himself, so there’s no sign with operating hours, but the neon “OPEN” sign is flashing, so they head inside. 

The jingle plays as they walk in, and Taako looks around, but Garfield is nowhere to be seen. “Huh,” he says. “I’ve never been in here without him lurking.” 

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, sir,” Angus says. 

“Ah, you’ve read ahead to wizard lesson numero tres, I see,” Taako grins a lopsided grin. “Okay, let’s see if we can find almonds. Hopefully they’re not in the frozen aisle, this time, I swear Garfield just throws shit on whatever shelf -” 

The pair passes the pre-baked goods aisle, and Angus is surprised to see the Director hunched over, holding a shopping basket and examining a shelf of Fantasy Pringles. She straightens up when she sees them, and winces. “Oh,” she says, sounding distinctly unhappy to see them. “Hello, boys.” 

“Hey, madame D,” Taako waves and keeps walking, but Angus stops. 

“Are you okay, madame?” He says. Her eyes are red and swollen – has she been crying? 

“Oh, yes, Angus, I’m fine. I always do my shopping late at night – I don’t want everyone knowing how bad my snacking addiction is,” she attempts a smile and shows him the basket full of cookies and chips. 

“Are you sure, madame?” Angus doesn’t want to pry, but the Director looks so desperately sad, like - 

**“Ah, Madam Director!”** A voice from right behind Angus rings out at a shout. He jumps, not having heard Garfield sneak up. “ **And the boy detective, too! Here to make some DEEEAAAAALS?”**

“Oh, hello Garfield,” Lucretia says. “No, I think I’ll stick to the RRP this time, thank you.” 

**“** **Are you sure? Some of my offers are just...** **deeeelightful** **,”** the cat grins, but Lucretia shudders. 

“No, really, Garfield. I quite like my soul where it is, and I’m not going to sell it for some cookies.” 

**“Okay,”** he says, sadly. **“I was willing to give hard cash for it, too, none of that fantasy store credit bullshit.”**

Taako pokes his head back around the shelves. “Hey, kid, c’mon. These almonds aren’t gonna buy themselves.” 

Garfield rounds on him, suddenly furious. **“Don’t think I don’t know who broke my window last month. You owe a penance,** **Taako** **Taaco** **, that can’t be paid in gold.”**

“Hey, c’mon, cha’boy needed tomatoes. I wanted to make ratatouille. Can you believe Merle thought that stuff was made up for the movie?” He laughs, but Garfield glares, unblinking. “C’mon, Garfield, come make a deal for these almonds.” 

Garfield bristles for a moment longer, fury sparking in his eyes, but then a grin spreads across his face. **“I’m powerless to resist the call of the deal!”** he says, and bounds into Taako’s aisle. The Director and Angus both breathe a sigh of relief. 

Angus doesn’t move, but the Director turns back to her shopping. “Ma’am, are you sure you’re okay?” 

She smiles, and it seems genuine this time, if tinged with sadness. “Yes, Angus, I’m okay. It’s just a tough anniversary for me. Someone I loved very much -” she licks her lips. “Disappeared. Twelve years ago, today. I – the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet.” 

The last few words of that sentence are said in a whisper. Angus lets out a breath, feeling tears prick his eyes. “Oh, I’m so sorry, madame, I didn’t mean to -” 

“Hush, Angus, it’s okay. You didn’t know.” She still looks a little pained, but she turns back the shelves and grabs some Fantasy Flamin’ Hot Doritos. 

Angus guesses that makes sense. The Director’s so driven, so determined to collect the Relics before they can hurt anyone else. What else would inspire that in her but having lost someone to them? “Ma’am, Taako and I are going to make macaroons,” he says, and moves next to her. “I could bring some to your office in the morning?” 

The Director smiles. “That - that’s very kind, Angus, I’d like that very much.” 

Angus smiles, and wraps his arms around her waist. “I’m sorry about your friend, madam.” 

She goes stiff as a board for a second before melting into the hug. Angus gets the feeling she’s maybe not used to physical affection, but she ruffles his hair anyway. “Thank you, Angus, really.” 

Angus releases her and steps around the shelves to find Taako and Garfield staring into each other’s eyes, Garfield levitating a couple of feet off the ground so they’re the same height. As he watches, something imperceptible changes, and Garfield says, miserably, **“fine, you win. You’ve bested me once again.”** He hurls the pack of almonds at Taako’s chest and floats upwards, above the shelves. **“You’d better watch out,** **Taako** **Taaco** **, for I won’t forget this!”**

He disappears, floating away over the shelves. Taako tosses the almonds into his cart and turns to Angus. “Well, kid, you ready to head out?” 

Staring over the shelves at where Garfield disappeared, Angus says, “yes, please.” 

Taako bags up their shopping and they head back out across the quad. The sky is filled with clouds, and the quad is so foggy Angus can barely see the domes – the disadvantage of living on the moon is that you’re literally _in_ the clouds. As they walk across the grassy fields, thunder peals, and the heavens open. 

“Shit,” Taako says, as the rain starts to plaster his blond hair to his head within seconds. “Here, kid, hold this.” He thrusts the bags of shopping at Angus, who’s pulling his robe over his head. Within seconds, the rain has started to drip through the material. 

Taako holds up the Umbra Staff and presses a button in the handle, and the umbrella pops up. With his now free hand, Taako runs a hand through his hair. “How bad is it, pumpkin? Don’t spare my feelings.” 

Angus looks up at him and giggles. Taako looks like a drowned rat. “As handsome as ever, sir.” 

Taako scowls good-naturedly. “The fact you couldn’t say it without laughing doesn’t make me feel good about it, Agnes.” He draws Angus closer under the umbrella, taking the bag of shopping back off him. 

“Thanks, sir,” Angus murmurs, as they walk across the quad under the shelter of the staff. He looks up at Taako, still bedraggled from the sudden burst of rain, and for the first time notices how tired he looks – without his hair done up immaculately and with his makeup streaking, it’s obvious that there are bags under his eyes, and, as Angus watches, Taako stifles a yawn. “Sir, are you okay?” 

“Will be once I’m dry, bubeleh,” Taako says, not looking down. 

“Why are we doing this lesson so late? You look – sir, you look tired.” 

Taako raises an eyebrow with a sardonic smile. “Is that any way to talk to someone who’s about to teach you to make dope macaroons?” Angus starts to stammer out an apology, but Taako waves him off. “It’s okay, kid. I couldn’t sleep. Just – insomnia. I get it, sometimes. Feels like my head’s full of bees, you know? And when I can’t sleep, I cook.” 

Angus nods, and they walk a few paces in silence. 

“It’s funny. I’ve always cooked, and I’ve never had anyone around, but recently it feels _wrong_ to be alone. Like I should have an extra pair of hands,” he continues. Angus gets the feeling Taako isn’t really talking to him, just thinking out loud – he's staring forward with an absent look on his face and gripping the Umbra Staff with white knuckles. Angus doesn’t say anything for fear he’ll break the spell and Taako will make a goof and change the subject. “It’s just lonely. I tried cooking with Magnus and Merle but it doesn’t feel right, you know? 

“And, I guess, I mean, even when I was doing my show, it felt wrong. I’d be doing these dope tricks, and great cooking, natch, but it was _wrong,”_ he says. “That’s why I hired Sazed. Just – to feel less alone.” Taako sighs, looking down at Angus again. “Guess you’ve reached the Taako Bond Level where you get my life story, huh. Sorry, pumpkin.” 

“It’s okay, sir,” Angus says. “I hope you feel better soon.” He grins. “Maybe you should try cooking with Mr. Kravitz.” 

Taako lazily swats at him, but Angus dodges out of the way, giggling. “Shut up, Agnes,” he says, as they arrive at Taako’s door. He pulls a key from his pockets, wipes off the sheen of pudding it’s accrued, and sticks it in the lock. Ushering Angus inside, he folds the Umbra Staff down – and Angus takes note of the way it seems to shake itself dry like a dog without Taako moving it. 

Taako twirls the Staff, and the water evaporates off both of them. Angus immediately starts to feel warmer. “Thanks, sir!” 

He starts unpacking the bags. He’s got almonds and eggs from the Costco, and he pulls icing sugar from the cupboards, and starts using mage hands to weigh all the ingredients as he turns to Angus. “So, kid, this is the boring bit. You gotta weigh out all the ingredients, then grind the almonds. They’ve gotta be real fine, and there’s no point buying pre-ground, cos you might think that’d be easier, but actually it’s never fine enough, so you have to grind ‘em yourself anyway -” As Taako explains, he pulls on an apron emblazoned with the Sizzle It Up logo. 

Angus nods so much he’s sure he looks like a bobblehead. He finds himself desperately wishing he had a notebook. 

“- and then you just bake ‘em and ice ‘em. It’s pretty straightforward, honestly, once you have the knack.” 

Taako starts out on the process, mixing the sugar and ground almonds together. Angus hefts himself up on the counter, sitting so his legs hang down over the side. Taako passes him the mixture and a sieve, and Angus shakes it so the mix falls through as a fine powder while Taako separates the egg whites from the yolks. Then, he adds the whites to the almonds and sets a mage hand whisking. “Keeping up so far, pumpkin?” 

Angus nods enthusiastically. “Oh, yes, sir! I just wish I could take notes, I want to keep the recipe.” 

A thoughtful look appears on Taako’s face, and he pulls his receipt from the Costco out from his pocket and a pen from one of his many pockets and starts scribbling on the back. His handwriting is messy, scribbled and looping, and Angus has to squint to make out some of the words, but he clutches it to his chest anyway. “Thank you, sir! Thank you!” 

Taako grins and ruffles Angus’ hair. “No problem, bubeleh.” 

Angus looks like he’s about to say something else, but he yawns, and Taako grins. “I can finish this up while you nap, Agnes.” 

“No way!” He says, a little more forcefully than intended. “I mean, I wanna see how to finish the recipe, sir.” 

Taako smiles softly. “Okay, watch closely, kid. I’m gonna go quick, and then you can get back in bed.” 

Taako moves like a blur as he finishes the recipe, summoning an extra pair of mage hands to help. He throws ingredients to them that they catch, weigh out, and slide back across the counter to him, and he catches them without looking. He passes them bowls and they wash up while he whips the meringue. Finally, the hands set the tray in the oven and Taako sets an egg timer. 

Watching, Angus can see what Taako means about cooking being lonely. He’s so practiced at cooking with four hands, not two, that he barely has to look to know what’s happening. It’s a dazzling display of coordination, and Angus can easily tell how Taako had his own show. 

“It only takes 14 minutes to bake, and you’ve gotta be real precise,” he says, setting a pink egg timer. “You not too tired, kid?” 

“I can manage another 14 minutes, sir,” Angus scowls, but ruins the effect with a massive yawn. 

Taako smirks. “Right.” 

Angus tries desperately to repress his yawns as Taako watches the macaroons through the oven door, before he straightens back up and grabs the Umbra Staff from where he’d rested it against a kitchen counter. 

“Here, I’ll teach you that prestidigitation I used earlier,” he says. “We’ve done the sparks, right? And the lighting a candle thing? It’s just like that. The magic, like, flows, in the same way, ‘cos it’s the same spell, but it’s just the way you channel it right at the end -” 

Angus nods, eagerly, but when he reaches for the lanyard round his neck he keeps his wand on, his face falls. “Aw, sir, I don’t have my wand.” 

Taako nods. “No problemo, pumpkin, use the Staff.” 

Angus reaches for it but hesitates. “Wait, sir, didn’t it – didn't it zap Merle? When you first found it?” 

Taako waves a hand dismissively. “Ch’yeah, but, like, that’s Merle. This umbrella has impeccable taste, probably just didn’t want the old man gunking up its aura.” He looks at Angus’ nervous face, and grins. “Hey, seriously, it’s cool. Other people have touched it since, and none of them got blasted.” 

Angus places a hand carefully on the Staff’s curved, exotic wooden handle – what kind of wood is that? Angus has never seen anything like it – and relaxes as the staff fails to even slightly blast him across the room. In fact, it feels warm to the touch, and Angus gets the absurd notion that the umbrella is pleased to see him. 

“Okay, as I was saying, prestidigitation can be used to do so much shit, and it’s basically just about how you cast it,” Taako continues. “Like, do the sparks.” 

Angus twirls the umbrella, and feels the heat tingling in his arm as the magic flows through him into the focus, and is cast outwards in the form of a spectacular shower of sparks. 

“Yeah, okay, great!” Taako claps his hands once. “That’s really comin’ along, kid. Not that I expected any different, how could you fail with Taako teaching you?” 

Angus flushes at the compliments, but says, “I think I succeeded _despite_ Taako teaching me, to be honest, sir.” 

Taako squawks indignantly. “How dare you! After I gave you my own staff to learn magic with, too.” 

Angus laughs, and Taako scowls, but his face quickly changes to the lopsided grin Angus has started to read as affectionate. “Anyways, as you cast it just – channel that magic into the coat.” He shrugs his jacket off and hangs it on the side of a cupboard door. 

Angus lines up the umbrella two handed, sticking his tongue out in concentration – it’s a little more unwieldy than his wand, and he doesn’t want to miss – and focuses on prestidigitation. That familiar tingle in his arm starts up again, and he feels the Staff spit a spell, but instead of warming the jacket, as he’d intended, it splashes a huge blotch of red, as if he’d spilled paint, across the back. He cringes. 

“I’m so sorry, sir! I don’t know what happened, I -” 

“Hey, woah, kiddo, it’s okay, red’s my colour,” Taako says, placing a hand on his head. “Prestidigitation only lasts an hour, anyways.” 

Angus nods. “Oh - yeah, okay.” 

“Anyways, here’s wizard lesson number ten, or whatever number we’re on now – if a spell goes wrong, just blame the umbrella. I do that all the time, and that thing's so weird that no one questions it.” 

Angus narrows his eyes. “What happened to all the wizard lessons between three and ten?” 

“You’ll get those when you earn ‘em, bubeleh. Those wizard lessons contain all the magical knowledge in the known universe, cha’boy can’t go ‘round handing ‘em out like candy.” The eggtimer dings _,_ and Taako grins. “Speaking of candy...” 

He pulls on an oven glove and whips the tray out of the oven, placing it on the stove to cool while he searches the fridge. “I made some filling the other day, I just have to find it.” He roots around for a couple more seconds, pulling out bowls of pudding and yoghurt, and finally pulls out a small bowl of cream. 

“Here, kid, just spread this on the meringue, okay?” Taako takes the Staff back from Angus and waves it, and the red stain on his jacket evaporates. “Try to get it even.” He leans back and watches Angus spread it, twirling the Umbra Staff absentmindedly. “We’re meant to pipe it, really, but I can’t be bothered to find the piping bag, and this’ll give us the same result, so long as you’re gentle.” 

Angus holds up his first constructed macaron, and grins as Taako leans over and snatches it from his hand with his teeth. He moans appreciatively, mouth still full. “I knew you’d be a good cooking partner, bubeleh,” he says, spraying crumbs. “I tried making cookies with Merle and he burnt them. Cookies! Do you have any idea how easy it is to make chocolate chip cookies?” 

Angus doesn’t reply. His tongue is still between his teeth as he spreads cream delicately, trying not to crumble the meringue. 

“And don’t get me _started_ on Magnus. He shattered five bowls! Five! Honestly, that’s on me, I should probably have realised after the first four,” he continues. “And, that time I tried to make chili, he -” 

He cocks his head, knitting his brows and worrying his lip with his teeth. “Huh. I don’t remember. He did something weird, anyway. I don’t know where that was, though, it wasn’t here...” 

Angus is still icing away, but one of the meringues explodes to dust in his hands as he grips it a little too tight, and the distraction seems to take Taako’s mind off his confusion. “Aw.” 

“Hey, it’s cool, kid, no big. Even Taako fucks up sometimes,” Taako says. “This is why you should pipe it, if you were gonna make these for someone other than yourself.” 

“Oh, I said I’d give some to Madam Director,” Angus says, starting on another macaron. “She looked so sad, earlier, and I just thought she’d like it.” 

Taako frowns. “What’s she sad about?” 

“She said someone she knew was killed by the Gauntlet,” Angus says, quietly. “I don’t think she was sleeping well. She looked tired.” 

“Join the club,” Taako yawns. “We’re all tired, it’s four in the morning.” 

Angus punctuates the point with his own yawn, and as he finally finishes icing the last macaron, Taako puts the tray in the fridge. 

“Okay, c’mon, kid, you’re gonna catch flies if you keep yawning like that. Let’s get you in bed.” Taako hesitates, looking down at Angus, who yawns once more, as if for emphasis. “Or you could take the armchair. Not sure we’d get you back to your room, and cha’boy’s not gonna carry you.” 

Angus nods, forcing his eyes open, and takes a seat. Taako pulls a plush blanket from somewhere, and flicks it over the kid. His eyes are already closed, his breathing levelling out, even as Taako tucks him in. 

Something’s eating at him, though. Even with Ango around, Taako feels – un-whole. He feels like there’s some crucial part missing, today especially, and he can’t work out why. 

He scoops up the Umbra Staff and those worries start to ease. He runs his hand over the wooden handle, and smiles at the feeling of warmth that emanates from the thing. He takes one last glance over his shoulder at Angus, and smiles in a way he’d never do in front of people – an affectionate, soft smile. 

He walks back into his room, closing the door behind him and quickly changing into his sleepwear – a pink t-shirt with flames emblazoned across the front that he doesn’t remember buying, even though it’s his exact size – did he steal this from someone? - and a pair of shorts with the word “BITE ME” on the ass, which he definitely _does_ remember buying. He loves those shorts. 

But, even as he pulls the sheets back over himself, something feels wrong. Whatever it is, it’s chewing him up inside, leaving him feeling hollow. He tosses and turns for a few more seconds, before he reaches down to the side of the bed where he’d dumped the Staff, and he pulls it into the bed with him. 

That familiar warmth acts like a hot water bottle, emanating heat that warms him down to the bones, and he smiles, but covers it up with a scowl. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you fucking up the kid’s spell back there, goofus,” he says. “You coulda given him a hand, huh?” 

He feels a bit silly, talking to an inanimate object, but the umbrella has always had a mind of its own. 

“Anyways, don’t get used to this. Sleeping in my bed. This is a fuckin’ one off, ya hear? Cha’boy’s just too lazy to get up for a hot water bottle.” 

He wraps an arm around the handle, and a leg over the tip. “Goodnight, Staff,” he says, almost expecting a reply. He finally gets to sleep, still draped over the umbrella. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I really hope you enjoyed this! Please leave a comment if you did! Maybe check me out on Tumblr at sgrumby!


End file.
